A federal judge has ruled that Trump’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and that the theatre should be re-opened.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the order on Friday. His ruling holds that the name of the center cannot be changed without congressional approval and ordered the Trump administration to remove every sign that references Trump’s name, including all references to “Trump Kennedy Center” within two weeks.
The judge also reversed that board’s decision to close the center for a renovation that is expected to take years to complete.
Last December, Trump decided to attach his name to the center and replaced board members with cronies who went on to elect him as chairman. The change caused interest in the center to wane and even performers cancelled concerts and other events. Trump then decided to close the center in the name of renovations.
Cooper, in his ruling, said that the board’s decision to close the center was based on “an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” that “neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions.”
In true Trump form, a barrage of insults and misplaced critiques followed the judge’s ruling.
“Judge Cooper was given a presentation by leading Building and Construction Experts as to how structurally dangerous the Building is, with rotting beams, parking areas that are subject to collapse, and various other Life and Safety problems, in addition to the fact that it also needs a MAJOR renovation, from an aesthetic standpoint, but he was not ‘swayed,’ and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!” he added.
For all of his social media ranting, Trump said he would order the Department of Commerce to make arrangements to give Congress authority over the Kennedy Center’s upkeep.
